Biosystems Engineering Major, MS

Options Available

Thesis Option
Project Option

Campus Code

Knoxville Campus

Admissions Standards/Procedures

To the Office of Graduate Admissions submit online application, application fee, and official transcripts. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is recommended but not required for admission to the program. Scores from the general GRE test are given different weights by various faculty advisors, so applicants are encouraged to directly contact their desired faculty advisor to determine the importance of this indicator to the success of their application. The online application procedure will also direct the applicant to submit an updated resume, three letters of reference (or three Graduate Rating Forms) from persons capable of assessing the applicant’s suitability for graduate work, and a statement of professional goals, research interests, and reasons for applying (less than one page). Each applicant will be advised about any prerequisite courses before entering a program. The student’s program of study must be approved by his/her advisory committee and must comply with the requirements of the Graduate Council. Prerequisite courses are selected based on the standards described in the BESS Graduate Student Handbook.

Academic Standards

Students are required to choose between these options in their first semester of study, in consultation with their major professor. Once an option is selected, it may only be changed with written approval of both the major professor and department head.

Thesis Option

Project Option

Five-Year BS-MS Program – Biosystems Engineering Major, MS

The department offers especially qualified students a Five-Year BS/MS program with a BS degree (major in biosystems engineering) and an MS degree (major in biosystems engineering). The primary component of the program is that qualified students may take up to 6 credit hours of approved graduate courses for their senior undergraduate electives and have them count toward both their BS and MS degrees at the University of Tennessee. This program is designed for students who intend to complete their MS degree at the University of Tennessee, as other universities may not accept these courses for graduate credit since they were used to satisfy requirements for the BS degree. Significant components of the program are as follows:

• Students must have an overall GPA of 3.40 in required coursework. Conditional admission to the five-year program may be granted after completion of 65 credit hours of coursework meeting requirements of the BS degree, with at least 24 credit hours in technical courses required for the major. Full admission may be granted after the completion of 96 credit hours of required coursework with a minimum GPA of 3.40 and at least 30 credit hours of technical coursework required by the major. Approval of such coursework is decided on by the BSE Undergraduate Program Coordinator.
• Admission must be approved by the department and the Graduate School. The approval process begins with application to the BSE Undergraduate Program Coordinator.
• Students must at least be conditionally admitted to the program prior to taking courses that receive credit for both the BS and MS degrees. All courses taken for graduate credit must be approved by the BSE Graduate Program Director. Students admitted to the program must also request permission from the Graduate School to take approved courses for graduate credit and must follow the normal procedure for admission to the Graduate School within the BSE program.
• Students will not be eligible for assistantships until they are enrolled as graduate-level students in the Graduate School.